


Tears of the Goddess

by thetroll



Category: Lunar (Video Games), Lunar 2
Genre: Borgan's still chasing around Miria though, Everybody Lives, F/M, Ghaleon lives, Hiro/Lucia at beginning, a rewrite of the epilogue, and maybe Leo because he's just kind of oblivious, because he's awesome like that, because she's more stubborn than everyone else put together, everyone else slowly starts to fall into place, except Dyne who's kind of a spirit guide, except Ruby, so canon divergence basically, we love you Leo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 20:21:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4800977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetroll/pseuds/thetroll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Total destruction is nearly at hand. Zophar's resurrection looms, but there is still much for everyone to learn before they're ready to face him-and what comes after. Suddenly, a whole new world is opened up to them on Hiro's epic quest . . . and there are new allies to be found along the way. Will love bring them closer to their goals...or rip them apart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! I was playing Lunar earlier and decided to challenge myself by putting some unlikely pairings together in a fic! Don't worry; this one isn't a long shot and I have more pairings and plot to come!
> 
> Please note that all canon couples will be here in all their glory-but all the single ones are fair game for random pairings!
> 
> Currently rated "M" because Ronfar and Jean can't keep their innuendos to themselves.

He was the epitome of everything that wrong with the Magic Guild.

He was the epitome of everything she had once believed in.

And he was sitting on the ground, dirt staining his pristine attire as he stared a bush of dying flowers.

Lemina felt a burst of anger swarm through her, though she didn't know if she was angry at his presence or what he represented for her.

"Ghaleon! Get out of here! I should mega toast your behind just for breathing the air of Vane!" She sniffed, nose in the air as she glared down at the former so-called "Magic Emperor" with an anger she usually reserved for lard mass that was Borgan.

"The flowers are dying."

If it wasn't so quiet here, she would have missed his reply. He didn't even other to look at her as one hand gently caressed a dying pink rose that had only a few petals left.

She gritted her teeth. Vane had once been a majestic city known for its elaborate gardens and tapestries, but it had fallen into ruin a thousand years ago.

All because of this man.

"Sorry that we're mega busy just trying to repair the roof over our head to save a few flowers." She couldn't stop the waspish tone, but she didn't want to, either.

"The gardens of Vane were the only places I could ever go to relax," he finally replied after a long moment. "I didn't realize then just what the cost would be. I believed so strongly in what I was doing that I saw little else. But," he finished with a sigh, "it was all for naught. I lost to a mere boy."

He stood abruptly. "I'm sorry, girl, for intruding. I wanted to see the gardens one last time before Zophar recreates the world and shapes it to his desires."

She shouldn't have felt bad then, but she did. He was her enemy, allied with the one being they all sought to destroy before he fully awakened, but there were times like now where she couldn't help but question his allegiance.

"You can stay awhile."

It was hard to tell who was more shocked then, Ghaleon or Lemina herself. He turned and lifted a brow as he now stared down at her.

Had he always been so tall?

Or was it just an effect of the bulky armor he wore?

"Don't pity me, girl." The arrogance she was used to hearing from him came back full-force.

"It's not pity," Lemina said with another sniff. "I understand."

She paused as she realized the truth of her words. She did understand. If it wasn't for Hiro, she might have ended up like him, like someone who had thought her own opinions were right and the only ones that mattered.

That people with power were supposed to shape the weak rather than protect them.

Perhaps in their own way, both she and Ghaleon had to mega learn humility.

"You can stay for awhile," she reiterated. "But," she added, glaring again, "if you so much as break anything, Ghaleon, I'll make sure you mega pay!"

"I don't think that will be an issue," Ghaleon replied dryly, eyeing the shoddy garden.

Lemina turned to head back to her mother to make sure Borgan wasn't leeching on her again, but not before she saw a small smile on Ghaleon's lips.

Who would have thought such a ruthless man could have such a soft, charming smile?

Lemina didn't even hear herself humming off-tune as she walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

Lemina had had every intention of complaining about Ghaleon's actions after she'd left the garden, but Borgan's usual antics with her mother had prevented her from doing just that.

The bucket of lard had once again been trying to woo her mother, and Lemina would have fire-spelled his butt into the next galaxy if her mother hadn't stopped her.

All they had left to do was defeat the false red dragon and lay claim to Ruby's power before taking on Zophar, but Ronfar was as ready to finally be there for Mauri as Ruby was unready to claim her power, and the drama had unfolded from there.

In the end, Lemina had ended up not saying a word.

She had been too busy helping Hiro and the others save Ronfar and teasing Ruby because of Nall's actions to even think much on what had happened with Ghaleon. It wasn't until they returned to Vane after defeating the false red dragon for supplies—though Lucia had almost left without them in her quest to save Althena—that Lemina even thought about the events of that day.

And it was all because of Borgan.

"Oh, Lemina pumpkin, don't you worry. Miria and I are going to take care of Vane while you fight Zophar," Borgan's deep voice rumbled through the decaying hall of Vane as he loomed in the entrance of the great receiving room of Vane. "Maybe," he added, his entire face and neck turning a splotchy red, "then you'll be ready to accept me as your stepfather, Lemina."

"Two words, Borgan: hands off!" Lemina snapped, covering her face as she shrieked in revulsion. "As if Mother would ever be interested in you! I'm warning you, Borgan, that my fire magic is powerful enough to hit you no matter where I am!"

"Lemina!" Miria's calm voice rang out. "Be more polite and considerate of our guests. Borgan has every right to be here and be treated with the same respect as you do."

Lemina opened her mouth to let out her list of reasons as to why Borgan's actions were unacceptable—after all, she'd helped Borgan and she did want Borgan to become better; she just didn't want Borgan involved with her mother in the process—but her mother's glare had her closing her mouth again.

In both disgust of Borgan and frustration of her mother's continual forgiveness, Lemina escaped to the worn gardens of Vane.

She stopped short when she saw the state of the garden and gaped.

All of the dead plants that had been littering the ground had been cleared away, and all of the debris had been cleared from the pathways and the two small pools in the garden. The missing cobbles from the pathways had been replaced, and the once-dry pools had been polished and refilled so that the water glinted a blue mosaic upon the stones it flowed over. The dead plants had all been replaced with seedlings and saplings that would no doubt be blooming and shooting up by fall, and were all arranged with such precision that the artistic touch was hard to deny. Three stone benches were strategically placed to be in the sunlight without distracting from the gardens themselves, and a lute had been left atop one of them, abandoned.

Lemina couldn't stop her own gasp of wonder.

The gardens had been one of the first things to fall into ruin, especially once the buildings themselves began to crumble. As a child, Lemina used to imagine what the gardens might have looked like a thousand or more years ago, in Vane's golden age, but she'd never had the opportunity to see them as anything but dead and dying. No one had any time to spare on the gardens though, or the drive, so she'd been left wanting.

It was one of the first things she'd wanted to fix with the silver she'd collect in fees for new recruits to Vane, but even she had to realistically agree that things like the roof and walls had to come first. Ramus had once offered her silver to help her restore Vane once he figured out how to turn his store around, but Lemina had refused to marry him to save Vane.

She'd had every intention of saving it on her own—at least, until she'd met Hiro and the others and realized that she couldn't do it on her own. Still, she wouldn't give up until Vane was even better than it had been before.

"Vane seems much smaller now, especially the manor and school. It may not be the Vane I knew, but I felt the urge to attempt to restore at least part of it to its former glory."

Lemina nearly jumped at Ghaleon's voice as it came from behind her, and she whirled around to find Ghaleon staring off into the gardens as he had before, instead of her.

"Most of the original manor has decayed or fallen apart," Lemina replied, feeling compelled to answer though he seemed to pay no attention to her. She couldn't shake her mother's lecture on being polite, and she knew that despite Ghaleon's past that her mother would not allow Ghaleon to be the exception. "The ruins are so dangerous that Mother closed off most of the manor and had the walls sealed so no one could get hurt. There also were some mega modifications done, too, by Premier Mia Ausa, including the removal of the prisons and the towers."

"Hmm. It's hard to believe that timid child grew to be a capable leader . . . but then, she did have her mother's spirit." Ghaleon moved over to one of the stone benches and sat down, raising his head to the sky as if he enjoyed the sunlight on his face.

Neither one of them spoke for several long moments, but Lemina finally couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Was this the way the gardens of Vane used to look?" she blurted, curiosity finally getting the better of her as his words finally set in.

Ghaleon had been the one to restore the gardens.

Had he done so with his own two hands? Or had he brought some of the Chosen with him?

Somehow, she couldn't see him relishing the idea of the Chosen following him around to do the real work, so she supposed he must have done the work himself.

How long had it taken?

"It is just a garden," Ghaleon replied nonchalantly in his usual dry tone. "Don't look too much into it, girl. I just had a momentary desire for the past."

"It's beautiful." She inhaled slowly, loving the smell of fresh air and the vitality of life growing around her. Vane needed this, she realized. She couldn't just repair falling buildings. She had to bring the life back to the city. "I never thought the gardens would look so mega cool."

Again, she wondered about Ghaleon's true allegiance—why bother restoring a garden when Zophar had the intention of destroying everything? What were his true motivations?

Ghaleon had turned around by the time she turned her gaze back to him. "We will meet again, girl, in this very spot."

He disappeared before Lemina could question him further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, just to reiterate . . . no canon couples shall be harmed in the making of this fanfic. All of the single characters, however, should be prepared to lose all sanity!
> 
> The first few chapters of this fic will be moving quickly enough to the point of Zophar's demise, but that's when a lot is going to be changing for our lovely cast of tortured—er, I mean, excited characters. Much of the story will be taking place in the epilogue . . . and there will be some minor plot changes as well, so bear with me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter/interlacing one-shot thing! Or something like that.

It seemed like everyone had lost themselves.

Jean knew the feeling—she'd suffered from it herself at first when shed escaped the Shadow Dragon Cult and the masked Lunn.

This time. However, she didn't ache because of her past. She ached because even with her past, she couldn't seem to help her friends.

Lemina had become introspective, often retreating to Vane's gardens or the cave of trials as she tried to resummon her magic. Leo continued to beat himself up for aiding the Chosen and the false Althena just as Ronfar himself had.

Even Ruby looked glum.

And Hiro... It was obvious he was suffering the most, and without his strength, everyone else seemed to fall further apart.

Jean knew Hiro was hurting. She'd spent the past few weeks with him, knowing that if his heart wasn't already captured by Lucia that Jean herself would have attempted to woo him. Now, however, she knew the pain the separation from Lucia was causing Hiro.

But she couldn't think of much to say to him now, not when he looked so defeated. Her initial attempt had gone so poorly that he'd gone from hurt to silent, so she hadn't bothered to try again. She'd already done enough to damage Hiro's battered heart.

He was stunned, shaken, and who could blame him?

Her mind was too shocked to absorb most of the information as well.

Althena was dead and Lucia had been kidnapped by Zophar. It seemed almost like all of their hope was lost already, and they hadn't even really fought Zophar yet.

It was disheartening, but Jean refused to give up just yet. After all, they'd done so much already, come so far, that she couldn't allow herself to lose hope now. Hiro had been their hope for so long that perhaps it was time for them to be that for him.

His heart had suffered the most damage of all of them.

"How is he?"

Jean was surprised to see that Leo had also taken refuge on the roof of Vane.

"You haven't spoken to him yet?" she asked, still surprised at the new, quieter Leo when the loud, brash Lord Leo and his men had been antagonizing the caravan for the past few years.

"I . . . still don't know if this is the right decision," he replied after a moment, and she realized he must still feel unworthy after what he'd done—and the fact that he thought he was doing what was right seemed only to wound him more.

"Have you ever had a good glass ale?" she asked, realizing that Leo needed something else to think about. "You and Ronfar have been friends for years, right? Sometimes, there's nothing better than a good mug of ale."

"White Knights do not partake of ale."

And there was the crux of the problem, she supposed. He wasn't a White Knight any longer, but he still carried himself like one.

Would he ever be able to break free of that mold or would he continue to be the broken man before her?

Broken, as she used to be broken before she'd found new life and purpose at the carnival caravan.

He'd always had a purpose before, but now he was left floundering. Perhaps that's what Leo needed too . . . a sense of purpose and life. Something for him to look forward to, to revitalize himself.

"Well, I don't know if you could drink more than Ronfar, but maybe when all of this is over, you won't mind then if I dragged you off to some bar and keep you there drinking until we're both too inebriated to find the door!" She laughed lightly, hoping he would accept—and wondering why it mattered so much if he didn't.

Leo took so long to answer that she was afraid he never would.

"Maybe some day," he said, and his response was so quiet and unsure that she almost didn't hear it.

She rested backwards against the wall, in a pose that might have been seductive if she was wearing her dancing garb instead of her new martial arts garb.

"You should talk with Hiro, Leo," she finally said, deciding that Leo needed to deal first with his own issues before anything else. "I think he needs you more than you realize."

Jean smiled at him before heading down the stairs back to the run-down manor, knowing that Leo was watching every step she took for hesitation. Each step she took was deliberate, showing him she had no regrets and that she'd meant what she said.

Somehow, it seemed that though she failed at cheering up Leo as much as she had at cheering up Hiro, she managed to give herself courage and purpose when she'd been floundering earlier.

Their goddess was dead and Lucia was gone, but Althena had been right, Jean realized, watching both Hiro and Leo struggle with their own demons.

They were all far stronger than they knew themselves to be now, and she just knew that if they supported each other like they had been all along, they could easily bring down Zophar and any of his minions.

She smiled at Miria and briefly told Lemina's mother what happened on the roof before she headed out of the manor, and she was even more convinced of her beliefs when she saw Lemina heading out behind her with all of Lemina's staves bundled up in her arms.

Lemina had the same idea that Jean herself had: to become even stronger than she'd been before. They would need every last bit of strength to defeat Zophar—but, most of all, they would need to rely on each other.

It seemed it was time for Jean to train with Lunn, who had traveled to Vane along with Mauri to help out as much as they could. Jean barely hid a smile as Lunn saw her and immediately fell into position, knowing what she needed without saying a word. Jean needed to be at the top of her game if they had any hope of defeating Zophar.

But most of all, she needed to be strong enough to protect her friends and the rest of the world.


	4. Chapter 4

Lemina didn't know what to do.

She sat on one of the polished garden benches, staring down into one of the newly planted flower beds. She didn't know how long she was there, but her vision had long since begun to blur as she became lost in her thoughts.

She knew things were bad—how could she not? Lucia was kidnapped, Althena was dead, and Zophar was on the warpath to consume everything.

But what could she do? She wasn't brave like Hiro. She wasn't honorable like Leo or dependable like Jean, and she certainly wasn't lucky or trustworthy like Ronfar, for all of his otherwise perverted qualities. Her skills certainly paled in comparison to Lucia's, and if Lucia couldn't manage to defeat Zophar, how was Lemina supposed to?

Sometimes she wondered if she even brought anything good to the group besides her hokey magical skills. Maybe they just kept her around for her ability to lop around giant fireballs.

Ha, there's Lemina. Let's laugh at the girl whose personality and personal life sucks. She dresses like a frugal old maid and she scares people. She can't do anything else well at all; she can't even restore Vane. Ha, ha, ha.

Lemina sighed. What could she do?

She heard the footsteps of someone else walking through the gardens of Vane, but she didn't bother to look up. There were only two people besides Lemina who bothered to walk through the gardens right now, and one of them was currently with Borgan and the others.

Instead, she dropped her chin onto her palm and reveled in her own misery.

"Surely you're not thinking of trying to save this miserable planet, now are you, girl? You'll never succeed."

"Can it, Ghaleon. I'm not in the mood. Go away before I mega blast you right back to Zophar." Lemina didn't bother to look up or turn around from the bench she'd slumped down on, but she also didn't bother to hide her irritation and frustration, either.

Ghaleon chuckled, riling up Lemina further as he stopped to hover over her. "My, my, what a temper you have, girl. I must say, I'm quite surprised. Little Mia was the very opposite of you. How is it her power breeds true but you lack her innate poise and refinement?"

Lemina ground her teeth together. "I'd like to see you try being ladylike in this mess! I'd rather work hard to restore Vane than waste time being ladylike!" She huffed as she leapt up from the bench.

"Mmm, yes. I could see how that would keep one busy. I can see how it might take more time to rebuild than it did to destroy." Ghaleon didn't seem the least bit repentant.

Lemina wanted to fireball his ass for the smirk he now wore, and she felt all of her pent-up anger—because of Vane, because of Borgan, because of Lucia, because of Zophar and everything else that Lemina couldn't control or fix—swarm through her, and she snapped, forgetting the good Ghaleon had done for them, the faeries . . . and even for Vane.

"Well, at least I'm trying to fix it, unlike some tyrannical dictators I could name! You're nothing but a mega destructive monster and I almost wish Zophar would keep bringing you back, just so we could keep killing you for what you've done!"

She turned and stalked from the gardens, nose high in the air and barely even noticing Jean and the others as she stalked to the Cave of Trials to begin regaining her magic. She would be strong enough to make a difference, and she would show Ghaleon everything she was capable of.

And then Ghaleon could get swallowed by Zophar for all she cared, like Lucia almost had.

She would later regret that those were the last words she ever spoke to him before his untimely end.

.

"Are you watching over them, Dyne? Those children . . . shine with your light." It was painful for him to speak when his wounded body had been so thoroughly abused by both Hiro and Zophar, though the fleeting aura of Zophar's power led to the destruction of Ghaleon's recrafted body by Hiro.

Once, a boy like Hiro wouldn't have left a scratch on Ghaleon, but Zophar had caught on to Ghaleon's bluff, and left his reanimated body weakened, ready to collapse.

Ghaleon, however, had no intentions of letting Zophar be the one to call the last blow . . . but now, the boy who reminded him of Alex, the boy who reminded him of Dyne, had finally put an end to all of the misery Ghaleon had caused.

It was finally time.

Ghaleon smiled as the sun seemed to reach out and wrap around him, softly glowing under the Blue Star. He was ready for it, ready to finally rest his soul and enjoy the peace that heaven would surely offer him now.

After all, he'd done enough, hadn't he? He'd done his best to correct and fix what he could, to guide Hiro, Lucia, and their little entourage and mold them into what they'd need to be to best Zophar.

Ghaleon couldn't undo what he'd done, but he'd done the next best thing.

He'd finally earned his peace now, surely. Purgatory no longer had any such claims to his person—for that alone he would embrace death a hundred times, just to finally be able to rest in gentle warmth he believed heaven to be.

In many ways, he didn't envy Dyne his fate.

Dyne's spirit had been too strong, too tormented, to ever fully rest, and though Dyne had long since lost his corporeal form, he still continued to be tied to Lunar, doing his best to defend it no matter the personal cost. Somehow, Dyne endured and fought on, continuing to protect Lunar because there could never be another Dragonmaster again—another reason why he'd hated the false human Althena. Every time she called him by that title, he'd vibrated with fury, for Ghaleon could never bear that mantle, should never bear that mantle . . . and so it was left up to Dyne to continue protecting Lunar when no one else had the strength to do so.

Dyne may have had his powers weakened, but he was still the strongest man on the entire planet.

No, with Athena gone, Dyne was the strongest being on the planet.

No matter what the boy had believed a millennia ago, Dyne was truly the last Dragonmaster, for only a Dragonmaster would have sought such a fate willingly, without provocation from his Goddess.

Alex, on the other hand, had retired from Dragonmaster and settled down with the human-Goddess to spend the remainder of their humanity in peace.

There was seldom peace for a Dragonmaster, however, and Alex's willingness to let go of everything for a humble life only proved he was never to fully become a Dragonmaster, due to Alex's own personal desires—and a Dragonmaster's personal desires never mattered. What mattered was the people of Lunar's desires and, primarily, the Goddess' own desires—that was the ultimate purpose of the Dragonmaster, to serve his or her life fully for everyone but himself.

The dragons may have accepted the boy as such, but Ghaleon never would. For Ghaleon, Dyne was the greatest . . . and the last.

Still, he'd finally made amends for his past, and he closed his eyes to embrace the peace the boy had fought for all of those years ago.

It was finally _time_.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you finally realized, did you?"

Ghaleon started at the familiar, booming voice, and the whiteness that had permeated his thoughts and mind faded, allowing him to open his eyes to see Dyne as the man he'd once been before Dyne's own death—Laike.

Then again, Ghaleon wasn't entirely surprised the Dragonmaster chose to present himself as the man he'd become, rather than the man he'd been.

Laike stood for everything the Goddess herself had wanted, as the embodiment of his destiny, his role, and his love for Althena.

Ghaleon no longer hated the appearance of Laike, but he did want to know why Dyne, as Laike, was once more interfering with Ghaleon's fate.

"It has been awhile, Dyne." Ghaleon turned his eyes to their surroundings, only to see a vague, blurred landscape that bore no resemblance to the afterlife he'd previously been intimately acquainted with. "Where are we? It isn't the netherworld."

"Where is unimportant, Ghaleon." Dyne grinned and pulled Ghaleon into a thumping hug as Ghaleon coughed in surprise. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

Ghaleon staggered as Dyne abruptly released him. "Why are we here, Dyne?" He was too proud to let out a gasp of breath despite how roughly his friend had grabbed him . . . despite his newfound humility.

"That's a better question, I suppose." Dyne sobered somewhat, his grin becoming lopsided. "Althena always believed in you, did you know? Even when you lost what remained of your humanity, she believed in you and hoped you'd finally become the man we'd once known. Her time as Luna didn't change that; in fact, I think her newfound humanity only reinforced that belief. You're here because of that hope."

Ghaleon turned to stare back at his friend in surprise.

So, the little boy and his goddess had kept their hope in him, had they? But why?

"I should have known the girl was too lighthearted for her own good." He exhaled slowly as he ran a hand through his silver hair. "Why?"

"Tell me, Ghaleon, what did you learn after you died and Zophar brought you back?"

When Ghaleon didn't speak, Dyne smacked him roughly on the back as Ghaleon groaned in pain. He'd missed a lot of things, but Dyne's rough nature wasn't one of them.

"You've changed, Ghaleon. Your heart finally softened and realized the power of all that humans can accomplish together. It's a lesson even your own death hadn't fully provided you." Dyne gave him a small smile. "However, you aren't done with what you need to learn, and you still have things to do."

"Dyne, have the years gone to addle your brain?" Ghaleon raised a brow. "There is nothing to do once one has passed. That is, in fact, the very point."

"Bah! You've seen me drunk before—this is nothing compared to that! Though what I wouldn't give to enjoy a good barrel of ale again, eh?" Dyne heartily slapped Ghaleon's back again, nearly sending Ghaleon to his feet. "But I meant what I said. You made amends, but you still have things you must repair in order to earn a well-deserved rest. Including a certain grounded city."

Ghaleon's lips thinned as he absorbed Dyne's words, and he couldn't keep the sarcasm from his own voice. "And how shall I do that dead, Dyne? Or shall I be forced to be an ethereal spirit such as you are now?"

If what Dyne was hinting at was true . . . Althena was quite meddlesome, even after her death. Ghaleon, however, wasn't sure he was interested.

Dyne laughed. "Not at all, dear boy! Althena did not leave me with a tear of her power strong enough for that and I'm certainly not powerful enough to do so!"

Ghaleon glared at his friend. He highly doubted even a tear would be able to give a human—even one as powerful as Dyne had once been, as the Dragonmaster—enough power to catapult their spirits back to the living world with enough force to continue to manipulate it.

He'd suspected that Althena's final act before returning to the world as Luna had been to turn Dyne into Laike herself—and, at that time, he'd become the spirit of a Dragonmaster, rather than the Dragonmaster himself.

Ghaleon, however, was Vile Tribe, and though he was more powerful than an average human, and his magical abilities were strong, he still was no Dragonmaster. But if Ghaleon could not return to the world as a spirit through Althena's power, and Zophar, whose abilities would have allowed Ghaleon's return, would be soon vanquished, then why was Dyne bothering with this in the first place?

"Althena's power cannot restore life, Dyne, as you're well aware," Ghaleon said dryly as Dyne's words began to sink in. "It is an unnatural thing and it goes against everything Althena stood for."

Dyne nodded and squared his shoulders. "You're correct; Althena cannot. However, her power was forced to merge with Zophar's when he attempted to absorb Lucia. For Zophar, who destroys what was created and twists what is natural, returning a half-life is a tiny thing . . . for you were not truly alive as you once were. Combined, however briefly, with Althena's powers of creation and nature, and there is a small window that we will use to restore you to a true life. Thus, it would not be unnatural . . . merely . . . less so. It will, however, be a most painful rebirth, and you may well spend quite some time recuperating. You have not been alive for some time."

Without realizing it, Ghaleon gaped at his friend.

"You're going to use what remains of your powers to try and harness Zophar's? You clearly have gone mad, Dyne." Ghaleon glared at Dyne. He'd learned the hard way the folly of using powers not innately your own, and yet Dyne seemed to eschew the very lesson he'd wanted Ghaleon to learn.

Combining Althena's and Zophar's powers would be folly, even for a being as powerful as Dyne. Not even the girl, Lucia, could have attempted such a feat and lived. There was simply no way to combine such opposing forces without extreme consequences.

A broken man like Ghaleon would not be worth the cost, no matter what Dyne may have thought.

"I'll do nothing. The remnants of Althena's power already have harnessed Zophar's—I'm merely showing it the way. Besides," Dyne added, with a lost look in his eyes that Ghaleon had learned long ago signaled Dyne's own feelings towards the Goddess, "it was her will to do so, her hope, so her power won't need to be controlled. She wanted you to be reborn, but with her death that would have been impossible. There are no more reincarnations after Althena but . . . She felt that you needed the chance to undo what you have done and live the life you were originally meant to live. It was her only regret that she could not see it through herself."

So, then, why had the all-knowing Althena chosen to revive Ghaleon, and not Dyne? Surely Dyne deserved it a hundredfold, and he said as much.

"If you could do this all along, Dyne, why not do it sooner? Why not restore yourself to life as well?" Ghaleon's lips and jaw twitched—would Dyne always try to be so noble and self-sacrificing? "If there is a way to live again, why not bring yourself as well?"

"My place is here, Ghaleon. Nowhere and between, able to move everywhere but never once travel. I'm here because there is no other, because even Althena knew that if humanity hoped to survive without her, there should be a guardian in place to ensure that if something went wrong, someone was able to reach out and find the humans who could help. I cannot fulfill that role through any other medium. Alive, I would have no purpose."

And for Dyne, who'd lived his whole life for Althena, that would very well kill him.

"So, it was you who led the boy to the Princess of the Blue Star?" Ghaleon deduced slowly. "And now you are trying to lead my to my 'fate?'" He wanted to scoff. How could a man dead twice have any fate at all left?

"I don't make fate, Ghaleon. I merely remind some of theirs." Dyne laughed, deeply, and Ghaleon felt the nostalgia rise within him at the familiar sound. Dyne had laughed like this frequently a long time ago, before the Goddess had interfered, before he'd been chosen as Dragonmaster . . . before he'd given up his power to make her human permanently. "As I'm doing with you, Ghaleon," Dyne added, interrupting Ghaleon's reminiscing. "Do me a favor and don't get yourself killed again. Three times really is just too much for a human, even if he's Vile Tribe."

Ghaleon's lips quirked into a small, sardonic smile. "I make no such promises, Dyne."

Dyne chuckled, and Ghaleon laughed for a moment, before he caught himself. Once, he would have given anything to hear Dyne laugh again, to see Dyne live again, but now . . .

Dyne sighed dramatically. "You always were foolish with the gifts given you," he mourned, wiping at nonexistent tears in his eyes. "Ah well! No time like the present to send you right back. Well, more future-present. Can't have you going back yet before those kids realize they can and do defeat a god! Actually, they might already have; got a bit distracted with you here, but I'm sure they're fine! Anyway, off you go!"

Dyne reached out and touched Ghaleon's brow, and for all of Ghaleon's pride, he could not stop the scream of pain as Dyne used the remnants of Althena's and Zophar's power to catapult him back to life.

Every iota of his body and spirit protested the change, but Ghaleon felt Dyne's will flood from behind him, pushing Ghaleon forward even when he attempted to fall back.

It seemed Ghaleon had no choice but to rejoin the living yet again, despite how weary his spirit was.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, after this chapter or so, it should be a little less jumpy, as we've made our way through most of the events of the game itself and would now be in the epilogue and aftermath of Zophar's defeat. I didn't think we'd get here so quickly, but we've got a lot still to go through for sure!

Lucia was gone.

Hiro'd had a brief moment of bitterness when he'd realized it—after all, Althena had become human and eschewed duty, so why did Lucia have so much trouble following in her footsteps? Althena had even encouraged Lucia to believe in her human friends, to stand by their side no matter what they faced. She'd pushed Lucia to choose her heart over her duty.

And yet, Lucia had chosen her duty over her friends . . . over him.

His heart clenched, and he nearly gave into the urge to cry again. This time, however, Ruby wasn't here to cheer him up. He missed Lucia, and he needed her more than he'd ever thought he would.

But how could he see her again? How could he convince her to stay, when she was now so far away?

After a few days of moping at his grandfather's house, he'd realized that Lucia had been planning to leave all along. She'd always talked about the Blue Star—always compared Lunar to the place she'd called home. She'd spoken about the future of the Blue Star with such hope at the end, and how she now had faith she could leave it to the humans.

From the very beginning, Lucia had been planning to leave him.

The moment that realization had hit, he'd realized just what he had to do. He just hoped his friends would be willing to help him out.

Perhaps he shouldn't have been so surprised that they were, but it was still hard to believe they were all on the Dragonship Destiny with him.

All except for Lemina, that is.

Hiro had saved her for last, mostly because he just didn't have a clue how to convince Lemina. Heck, he didn't even really understand her to begin with, though not for a lack of trying on his part.

"Hey, Hiro! Let's go already! There's a big basket of fish waiting for me back at Nall's!" Ruby shouted, all but shoving him towards the deck of the Destiny. "Do you even realize how many fish that is?!"

"Aww, how sweet, Ruby! I wonder what color your babies will be?" Jean teased from behind them.

"Babies? Who the heck would want to have babies with that annoying fireball?" Ronfar added, just before Ruby incinerated his latest chewing wheat stalk—and his eyebrows. "C'mon, Red! Those were finally just starting to grow back!"

"Hmph!" Ruby let out a small puff of smoke, just to watch Ronfar freak out and dance around to avoid her fire. "When are you and Mauri finally having kids, huh, Ronfar?" She flew closer to his face, hoping to get him back for his comment.

She was not having kids with Nall. They were friends—sort of.

Leo rubbed his chin. "I hope it's soon, Ronfar. Mauri's waited long enough for you to get your act together, and besides, I want some nieces and nephews to spoil!" He gave Ronfar a thumb's up as Ronfar turned bright red.

"I never thought I'd see Ronfar so red sober," Jean added, laughing as she nudged Ronfar with her shoulder.

"Hey! Aren't you guys moving really fast?" Ronfar protested, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"Ronfar, for such a big playboy, you really know nothing of women!" Jean laughed again as Ruby impatiently made a beeline for Hiro.

"Hiro, why are you just standing there? C'mon, move already! Lemina's waiting for us!" Ruby pushed Hiro right off the stairs of the ship, and he landed on the side with a thud as Jean and Ronfar laughed behind him.

"Hey, chief, now there's a sight I bet Lucia's missing!" Ronfar called out as Jean chuckled behind him.

Hiro stood up slowly, rubbing his bottom with a wince.

Maybe bringing everyone wasn't the best idea he'd ever had.

.

Lemina could tell her mother was hiding something from her, but she couldn't get her mother or Borgan to talk—and she'd even incinerated Borgan just to try and convince him to own up.

Unfortunately, Borgan's love for her mother far outweighed his fear of Lemina's magic . . . to her disgust.

She sighed as she dropped down onto the bench in her garden—it was hers, after all, because the only other person who'd ever really had a claim on it in the past few decades had died when he'd betrayed Zophar—and waved her wand absently in one hand as she placed her chin on the palm of her other hand.

Ghaleon . . . was he finally resting peacefully?

Part of her wanted to think he was. After all, he wasn't as bad as she'd initially thought he'd be after his resurrection. In fact, instead of damaging the Magic Guild or Vane further—despite their actions in the past that lead to his downfall—he'd helped rebuild what he could.

Obviously, he had some bias motives, given that according to the records Ghaleon had once spent a lot of time in the gardens just as Lemina herself had. Of course, that had been centuries ago, back when Vane was in its prime, and before it had started falling apart around them . . .

Still, as selfish as it was, Lemina wished that Ghaleon hadn't died again, because she just knew he'd have known how to begin repairing the history and traditions of Vane. What she and her mother were doing just wasn't enough. The old books were either falling apart and missing key information, or the old writings' meanings had become lost over the centuries. Even her mother had trouble reading some of the really old texts.

Buildings had also begun to decay beyond recognition, and there were few records left from Vane's prime to indicate what belonged where. Lemina was beginning to lose hope that she could ever restore Vane to its former glory on her own.

Ghaleon, on the other hand, if the records were to be believed, was far older than he had appeared, and he no doubt could at the very least read the old texts, if not supply the missing information to help restore it.

After all, he'd once been the head of the Guild and Vane, along with Lemia Ausa.

According to the old stories, Vane had become Ghaleon's home, and he'd known it better than anyone else ever could, even the Ausa clan. It wasn't fair that she'd had someone like at her fingertips, only to have them abandon her for the netherworld.

Lemina had finally learned she needed to restore the history and traditions of Vane if she truly wished to restore Vane, but how was she supposed to do it alone? There was just too much working against her, and it wasn't fair.

She finally sucked up her pride and admitted she needed help, only to discover there wasn't really anyone she could ask for help.

The one person she needed . . . was dead.

She sighed again. She would give up every single piece of silver she had if she could gain even the smallest bit of access to what someone like Ghaleon would know.

"Althena, I know you're not around anymore." Lemina stared at one of the now-blooming purple flowers Ghaleon had planted. "But . . . you had to have known I can't do this myself, right? You planned for everything else, even Lucia. I know the Blue Star and Zophar were your biggest concerns, and . . . a-and I know it's really selfish to say this, but I really could use some help. Please."

"Lemina! Please come here," her mother's voice called out. "There's someone here to see you."

Wearily, Lemina rose from the bench. "Coming, Mother!" she called as she made her way out of the garden.

As she walked out of the garden, she failed to notice how her shoulders suddenly didn't seem so hunched, nor did she notice the faint blue light that had flowed down into a corner of the garden, along with what would have been a faint, but memorable chuckle.


	7. Chapter 7

The first breathe of air was the single most excruciatingly painful moment of Ghaleon's life.

The second was even worse, and Ghaleon, too proud to choke or gasp in pain, let out a low chuckle instead.

Painful rebirth indeed.

Then again, Dyne had always had a hidden deviant side, so it didn't surprise him that Dyne had neglected to mention just how painful his rebirth was to be. Perhaps Ghaleon had had a stronger impact on his friend than he'd realized, for he most definitely would not have mentioned this amount of pain to Dyne, either.

At least his bastard of a friend had sent him to the one place Ghaleon knew would be unoccupied—the gardens of Vane.

Ghaleon felt his knees buckle under the weight of his own body and he barely managed to catch himself on a tree before his legs gave out from under him. He was instantly grateful Dyne had chosen to resurrect him in the travel clothes he'd once worn when he'd journeyed with Dyne, rather than his heavier formal magician's garb or the elaborate costumes he'd once worn during the more prominent moments of his life. Though his current attire was nowhere near as ornate as he'd once sported, this cloth was far lighter and more comfortable than anything else he could have worn.

Then again, what was a grand magician without his equally grand attire?

Perhaps Dyne was attempting to rebuke Ghaleon for his elaborate tastes.

In a moment of vanity, Ghaleon glanced about the garden until he spotted a familiar pool and glanced down. Part of him hoped his face would be whole once more, but another part of him feared Althena's magic would have healed the wound as a sop to his own ego and vanity.

To both his consternation and relief, the familiar chiseled rock was still there, and without thinking, one smooth hand moved to caress the enchanted surface. It was smoother than it had been before, feeling polished to the touch rather than rough, but the rock was still there, leaving Ghaleon feeling both whole and unwhole at the same time.

He was, after all, a broken man, so it was indeed fitting that he look the part.

He moved to lean against the entrance of the wall near the doorway of the garden, trying to summon his courage to leave. What would he say? Where should he go? What was he to do?

Dyne had, after all, hinted at the purpose of Ghaleon's re-resurrection, but Ghaleon himself had no idea how well he would be received by the very children he'd more or less "tried" to destroy. They had forgiven him at the end, he supposed, but that was when they believed his own death to be imminent. There was no telling what his reception would be now, particularly from Lucia, that fop dragon, or the spunky blonde.

He admitted it was the blonde's reaction that would be most telling in determining Ghaleon's new future.

He wished to undo what he had done, and to show the world the true glory of Vane as it had once been, but he had no idea if he was to be well-received in that regard due to his own past . . . and the reminder of his former behavior stung.

He had changed, but that did not mean others would see him thus.

The gardens that he'd once found so soothing no longer held the answers he craved, and so he walked towards the decrepit building that had once been the very highlight of Vane culture.

Without intending to, he began to pick up on the conversation taking place in what remained of the grand hall of Vane.

"—I've got to find her. Please, you've got to help me."

Ghaleon found himself shifting closer to the doorway. What was the boy talking about? He easily recognized the voice of the wannabe Dragonmaster, but the young, hapless fool spoke as if he lost someone, and surely he had not been so foolish as to lose the Princess of the Blue Star, not after Ghaleon's and Althena's own warnings to the contrary.

He heard the Junior Premier—what was her name again? ah, Lemina—sigh. "I had hoped to focus my efforts on Vane," she said after a moment, "but I suppose it's not going to happen right away. Besides, I'm the strongest magician out there! With my help, you'll get to Lucia in no time at all! Just don't forget to bring her back here when you do, to sign up as ranking members of the Guild!"

Ghaleon scoffed to himself. So the boy had managed to lose his princess. It seemed, in that regard, that the boy was as foolish as his predecessor Alex was.

And, as far as Ghaleon was concerned, as foolish as Dyne had been to fall in love with Althena.

It was foolish to love a deity, but it was even more foolish to give up on that love once you lost yourself to it. It blinded you to everything else.

And that, Ghaleon had no doubt, was the real reason Hiro had managed to lose Lucia.

"Thank you, Lemina!" the boy shouted happily. "I'm so glad you'll come with us!"

Well, that settled everything. Ghaleon had no desire to rebuild Vane with Lemina's mother—she was, after all, rather aged, and as Vile Tribe, Ghaleon would no doubt live far longer than she. He was still in his prime, resurrected or not.

No, if he was intent on rebuilding Vane, he wanted to start with her daughter. The girl was young enough that he should get quite a few years out of her yet before her humanity caught up with her, and by then he hoped to have built a legacy that her family would continue on, with or without him. Miria would no doubt die of old age before he reached that sort of rapport with her. To revive Vane at this point, he had to educate them on its past, on its grand history and culture, and he doubted Miria would be around enough for him to share so much of his own knowledge. There was the hint of disease around her, something he was sure the girl hadn't yet discovered . . . but was still faintly noticeable to his Vile Tribe senses.

Not to mention, of course, that he had no desire to regularly interact with the large landmass that floated around the Premier of Vane like a planet in orbit of the sun.

However, if he wished to start his project with the little Junior Premier, he would first have to gain her trust. No matter his previous actions before his more recent death, he had little doubt that he'd fully managed to win over the girl.

The boy's little quest couldn't have come at a better time. Though Ghaleon himself knew the simpler answer to the boy's problem, if he chose to accompany the boy on what would no doubt be quite the long journey, he'd have ample time to win over the girl before they returned back to Vane.

With that thought in mind, he made his way to the receiving room, taking no measures to quiet or shorten his gait. His mind was made up, and he would follow his own plan through no matter the costs—just as he'd done before, time and time again.

"If you wish to seek the Princess of the Blue Star, boy, you are going to need help," he said, enjoying the way a few of his companions noticeably jumped at his voice as they turned to eye him. "I am prepared to offer you assistance as you asked not long ago, for I do so live again."

"Is Zophar back?!" Lemina shrieked, clasping her hands on her face.

Ghaleon hid a sigh at her decibel. "No, girl. This was apparently Althena's own doing—centuries before your time." He refused to say more than that, not when he could feel Dyne's presence lurking not too far away. He had no desire to be on the end of his old friend's wrath, even if said friend had not set any parameters for Ghaleon's resurrection other than "to fulfill his purpose per Althena's own wish."

"A-are you sure, Ghaleon?" the boy replied before his little red companion could spit out the retort he saw burning in her eyes. "I mean, we're happy to have you, but if there's something you'd rather be doing—"

"I am quite sure, boy." He turned back to the doorway. "We're wasting valuable time."

"R-right. I guess we should get back to the others on the Destiny, then. Are you ready to go, Lemina?" the boy asked.

Lemina sniffed. "I've been ready. Let's go mega-toast some bad guy butt!"

Ghaleon sighed again, this time aloud, as he followed the two back to their ship. It seemed that even with his resurrections, he did not fully have the patience to deal with the dramatics of teenagers.

This journey, no doubt, would be the longest he'd yet endured in his long, long life.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I suck for not updating this in awhile.
> 
> Then again, it's not my most popular work, and that sort of thing can drag on an author, you know?

Jean leaned against the counter in the kitchen of the Dragonship Destiny, watching as Ronfar served up a meal to Hiro to try and cheer the boy up. Between the antics of Ruby and Ronfar, Hiro was practically choking on his food.

No doubt they were trying to snap Hiro out of his melancholy, but Jean personally doubted that he'd needed it. Once Hiro had decided on his course, he'd latched onto it with a determination that would have rivaled her own when she'd first found the caravan long ago.

Lucia wouldn't be alone for much longer, and it was about time that she finally understood what it meant to be _human_.

Jean sighed to herself. She wanted to help Hiro, because Althena knew that he deserved the chance to be happy—or, she amended to herself, Althena _would_ have known, if she'd still been around.

That was part of the problem. Althena was gone, Zophar was gone, and Lucia had left Lunar to the humans and beastmen. And Vile Tribe, she reminded herself, remembering the surprising news that Ghaleon was not only _alive_ , but traveling with them.

She still wasn't sure how to feel about that, but then, if she deserved second chances, and if Leo did, she supposed Ghaleon did, as well.

Though that was the other problem.

She no longer felt like she'd had a place. Ronfar constantly gushed over Mauri, and Ruby, despite her own protests, was clearly mooning over Nall. Adding Hiro and his adoration for Lucia into the mix, and it was impossible not to feel lonely.

Not to mention the fact that Lemina and Ghaleon were clearly having quiet, heated discussions of their own, and though both claimed it was only about Vane, there was something about Lemina that seemed to intrigue Ghaleon despite his best efforts to the contrary. Jean doubted their conversations would stay as mere conversations for much longer—besides, they both had the same, unrivaled passion for restoring Vane bringing them together despite their differences.

If there was one thing Lemina could and would respect, it would be that.

Leo was the only other person who was often on his own, but the former White Knight seemed busy still beating himself up over the past.

So, Jean was alone, and after her years with the caravan and, before that, in her forced training with Lunn and the other kidnapped children, she hated it. She'd rarely been alone, and it was hard to stomach now.

She hadn't felt even the slightest urge to dance in _weeks_ . . .

She turned and left the kitchen, though she wasn't sure where she'd go. Instead, she wandered from corridor to corridor, until she finally came to the doors that had once led to Leo's room—a room he now insisted that Hiro use, because, no doubt, Leo still felt unworthy.

To her surprise, Leo was standing outside the doors, though he didn't seem to notice her.

"Leo?" she called out, reaching to pat him on the back before she thought better of it. "Are you alright?"

He jumped as he turned to meet her eyes. "I don't know," he admitted, and then sighed. "I don't know who I am anymore. I'm not Leo, the White Knight, nor am I Leo, of Althena. Althena isn't even around anymore, and most of the Chosen have fled their posts. It won't be long before everyone learns the truth about Althena and the Chosen. Everything I thought had given me purpose was false." He sighed. "Mauri has finally been healed, and she's found happiness with Ronfar. What's left for me?"

She tried not to gape as he echoed her own words. "I was going to go back to the caravan," she admitted, though she spoke so quietly she wasn't sure if she was talking to herself or him, "but somehow, that still feels like running away to me. It'll always be home to me, but . . . " she trailed off.

"It's not the same," he filled in for her.

She licked her dry lips. "Everyone, they have something to live for. Someone to live for." Her words were quiet, and she didn't even know why she was unloading this all on Leo, when he was already burdened enough with his own problems.

"Everyone has a place," he echoed. His expression was melancholy, and before Jean could think better of it, she gave in to the urge to pull him into a hug they both do desperately needed.

He shook for a moment before he relaxed and awkwardly returned the hug. They stood like that for a long time without speaking, but it was the first time in years that Jean had felt so at peace.

.

The Dragonship Destiny was empty on deck, save for Lemina, and she took advantage of the moment to relax against the side of the ship and close her eyes to enjoy the scent of the ocean breeze and the calming sound of the ocean moving beneath the ship.

She heard a cough, and she reluctantly opened her eyes to see Ghaleon relaxing against the rail beside her.

She hadn't even heard him walk up.

She sighed, realizing that he'd probably sought her out to once again criticize the state of Vane. "Look, buster, I want to restore Vane more than anybody, but right now, there's not much we can do until Hiro's quest is done!"

"I said nothing to the contrary," Ghaleon said smoothly. "In fact, I believe I've said nothing at all to that note."

She rolled her eyes and snorted, not caring that it wasn't at all ladylike. "You're not fooling anybody, Ghaleon. I know you don't care about helping Hiro get Lucia back!"

He tilted his head, his signature smirk firmly in place. "Don't I? Don't dare to presume you know anything about me, little girl. I'm far older than you, and, might I add, far more mature in my own wishes and desires. There's no reason for me not to help the boy, despite his foolishness in losing his little princess."

She waggled her finger in front of him. "Don't start, Ghaleon! It wasn't his fault that Lucia was planning on going back—that's her duty!" And Lemina, better than anybody, understood the pressing weight of duty over the heart.

"Yes, it is her duty," Ghaleon drawled the words out. "One might wonder how she plans to complete her task if she allows herself to act on her feelings for the boy. Will she trust in the power of humanity to return to a restored Blue Star in the future on their own?"

Lemina opened her mouth and then closed it; that wasn't something she'd ever stopped to consider. Nor, she decided, was it likely that Hiro had.

But Lucia most certainly had.

"Althena trusted in the power of humans," Lemina defended, but her voice was weak. Althena had left key players on Lunar and the Blue Star, so it wasn't as if she'd left them all alone. There were the dragons, and Lucia herself, to ensure that the humans were safeguarded until their return.

And she'd left the humans with their magic.

Ghaleon, however, nodded. "So she did. But will Lucia?" He scoffed as he leaned back on his arms against the railing. "Lucia does not trust her human heart nearly as much as Luna did."

Lemina didn't like the way he emphasized human heart, as though there was something wrong with it. "What's wrong with being in love?" she snapped.

"Love is foolish." He stared up at the Blue Star peeking through the clouds. "It leads humans to do all sorts of foolish things."

"Haven't you ever been in love?" She folded her arms across her chest and waited, but she already suspected the answer was _no_.

"Why would I?" Ghaleon chuckled, but it was without mirth. "I saw what love did to Dyne, and then what it did to Alex and Luna. It took them down such foolish paths—ones they could have easily avoided."

"And love saved Alex in the end!" Lemina shouted, angered at Ghaleon's easy dismissal. "And it saved Hiro! If Lucia hadn't loved and trusted Hiro, she would have destroyed this whole planet _before_ we could save it!"

"And yet that same love drove her from you humans to begin with. Tell me, little girl, if Lucia had trusted her feelings so much to begin with, why did she drive you away and allow Zophar to capture her before her mission had been completed?" Ghaleon raised a brow, on the side of his face that was still human—no, she reminded herself, still _Vile Tribe_.

Lemina huffed, not wanting to admit that Ghaleon had a point. "She's learning. And Hiro will help her," she insisted after a moment. "You'd be lucky, if you were ever loved like that."

Ghaleon suddenly leaned over her, his face just inches from hers. "I would be _foolish_ ," he repeated, but then he abruptly backed away. "Then again, I have lived and died twice already. Perhaps I already foolish. But love is not a folly I intend to add to my list."

He turned and walked towards the door leading to the bowels of the Destiny just as Hiro emerged, shouting, "The Dragon's Nest—Ruby says it's in sight!"


	9. Chapter 9

Jean wasn't surprised Hiro was back at the helm the minute they left the dragon ruins, despite his healing wounds. As she'd predicted, once Hiro had a plan to get Lucia back, he'd locked onto it with a single-minded determination without faltering.

She'd always admired that about him. Hiro was, perhaps, as naive as Lucia was, in his own way, but his heart and his drive were well beyond anyone else she'd ever met.

Except for Lucia.

Those two were more alike than they could possibly know.

She sighed as she rested her arms and head on the side rail of the Dragonship Destiny. It would be at least a day before they reached the water ruins, and that was if they didn't stop anywhere for supplies.

Ronfar had conked out after he'd healed their wounds, and once again, Lemina and Ghaleon were off arguing, so Jean was left to nurse her pride on her own.

 _Why do I feel so useless?_ She sighed to herself, blowing her bangs out of her face. _I want to help Hiro more than anything after all he's done for me, but I feel like he could accomplish everything on his own without me._

"I haven't been much of a drinker since I joined the Chosen," Leo's voice came from behind her, "but I think you could use a drink. And, luckily, I know where Ronfar hides his customary flask of liquor."

She straightened and turned to see Leo holding a large silver flask out in front of her face, and her sorrow fled her as quickly as it had arrived.

"Cheers!" she shouted as she unscrewed the flask and took a large swallow. "Oh, that burns; I always thought he was more of a beer guy than straight up whiskey."

Leo chuckled as he moved to lean against the railing beside her, and she was surprised to see that he seemed more mellow, as well. "He'll drink whatever he can get his hands on."

"I see that," she said, eying the flask as she considered another sip. "I'm more of a beer girl myself. But oh, you only live once, right?"

She waved the flask at him before taking another sip—though this one was considerably smaller than her first.

"Unless you are Ghaleon or Althena, I suppose you're right," Leo said quietly next to her.

"Huh. I forgot about him." Jean lounged against the railing. "I never would have thought Althena would bring him back after all he'd done." She waved the flask under his nose. "Sip?"

He stared at the flask so long she thought he'd never take it. Suddenly, he reached out and took a huge swallow—though he immediately began coughing. "That's strong," he choked out.

"I warned you." She grinned at him, enjoying the ease their friendship had become. They might be two lonely, wounded individuals, but somehow, they made it work.

"I think, at the end, the goddess was more human than we knew," Leo finally said. "Perhaps that's why she tried so hard to save Ghaleon. And why she tried so hard to give Lucia a real future."

"I never thought about it like that." Jean glanced up at the sky, where the Blue Star and Lucia loomed far above them. "Do you think she ever regretted becoming human?"

"I think," Leo said seriously, as he passed the flask back to Jean, "that she finally had the chance to be herself."

Jean considered that as she took another sip. "You know, Leo, if a goddess can forgive herself for becoming human, we can at least forgive ourselves, right?" She sighed. "We aren't perfect, but we did manage to save the world anyway, despite that."

She felt a breeze flow over the deck, despite the fact that there hadn't been a breeze since they'd left the dragon's nest, and it felt like, for a moment, she'd been hugged.

She turned to look at Leo, only to find him wearing the same stunned expression she _knew_ she had on her own face.

"If Althena were still here," Jean said slowly, "I would have said that was a sign."

"If Althena were still here," Leo echoed, "I would have said you were right."

Neither of them touched the flask of alcohol after that. Instead, they stared out to the open sea, and pondered.

.

Ghaleon watched Lemina closely, trying to gauge her potential acceptance to his proposition.

He knew she needed his help, just as he knew he needed hers.

But the Junior Premier was feisty, perhaps more so than Mia herself had ever been at that age. Mia had been quieter, more demure, and full of poise, where Lemina was known to be brash, indelicate, and haughty.

It was hard to believe the two women were related, until you realized that, underneath, they both had the same determination and the same desire to protect the people they cared about, and they both seemed to love so deeply that it was positively ridiculous.

Ghaleon wasn't a fool; he knew he wasn't on that list of people Lemina cared for, and he wasn't sure he wanted to be, either. But if he didn't allow Lemina to be closer to him, she likely would never trust him to help her rebuild Vane in the first place.

It would be tedious, but he'd have to sacrifice more of his own pride to achieve his task.

He just didn't know if Lemina would let him. The infernal woman seemed to have a tendency to hold a grudge, and Ghaleon had never been known to have the same charm that Dyne once held over the ladies.

Then again, Lemina herself was a straight-shooter, and Ghaleon figured she'd appreciate the same in turn. He'd made a promise to Dyne, after all, and he would uphold it, so he decided then that wouldn't allow Lemina to turn him down.

She walked past where he'd been waiting in the hallway below deck, and he reached out to pull her to a stop.

She screamed. "Ghaleon! I'm going to mega freeze you to death one of these days!"

He chuckled as she glowered at him. "Your magic pales in comparison to my own," he reminded her.

Lemina, however, was no Mia, and she refused to back down. "That was before you died." She sniffed, ignoring how he stiffened. "Who's to say how much magic you lost coming back to life as you did?"

"I believe I proved myself back in that dragon's dungeon," he ground out, reminding himself to be patient, to tempt her to accept his plan rather than to lose his temper. "Lemina Ausa, you do not trust me."

"You destroyed Vane. Twice," she pointed out.

"The city still stands," he protested, waving a hand.

"Maybe so, but it no longer _floats_." She huffed.

"There is no longer the goddess' magic to sustain it in the air as it once did," Ghaleon countered. He willed her to accept reason, so that he could convince her to accept his help.

"Which is also _your_ fault." She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

Ghaleon ran a hand through his hair in annoyance. "Thousands of years ago, yes! But I am attempting to fix all of that _now_!"

She stared at him. "You want to fix Vane?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"You want it to fly again?"

"If human magic can do so, yes."

She didn't look convinced. "And what if it can't?"

"Vane can still be revived," he reminded her. "Vane wasn't important merely because it floated, girl. It was what it represented, and what it housed."

Lemina tapped her wand against her shoulder absently. "You won't get to be a premier or a dragonmaster again."

"I am aware." Those titles no longer mattered to anyone, anyway. There was no Althena to protect, nor was there her magic to steal save what she'd left behind of herself to the humans.

"You promise to help, and not stop until it's done, right? You'll help restore and translate every last text, rebuild every last building, and locate every lost treasure of Vane?" Lemina met his eyes with a gaze that hauntingly reminded him of Dyne.

Ghaleon swallowed, hoping she didn't notice his sudden nerves. "I do swear to do all of that," he told her, pausing to inhale slowly, "and more."

She smiled at him, and he was forced to note that she wasn't quite so ordinary and plain as he'd first assumed. "Then I'd love to have your help, Ghaleon, once we help Hiro."

He found himself smiling back, though he'd later be hard-pressed to say why.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Narshia, whose comments gave me the starting point AND the kick in the rear I needed to get this next chapter up.
> 
> I'm thrilled beyond belief to find someone else who loves the world of Lunar as much as I do.

Ruby found herself at a loss. They had to wait for the water level to fall just a little more before attempting the water ruins, but Hiro had gone sullen the moment they'd arrived.

The Rememberizer crystal had lit up the moment they'd stepped foot on the springs and, well, Hiro hadn't been the same since. So far, Ruby was fairly positive that he hadn't really _looked_ at the orb, but she wasn't sure that he needed to, either.

Hiro seemed happy enough when everyone else was paying attention, and he was more than determined to reach Lucia. He just seemed . . . less alive somehow without her.

Meanwhile, there was something even more odd happening between Lemina and Ghaleon, and that bothered Ruby, too.

What was a red dragon supposed to do when nothing seemed to be working out exactly right?

.

Lemina couldn't shake Ghaleon's constant companionship, even if she'd wanted to.

The day he'd agreed to help, she'd dragged him off of the deck of the Dragonship Destiny, and practically forced him to stay up most of the night drawing up plans with her.

Ghaleon had so many secrets revolving around Vane, and Lemina refused to let him go until he'd divulged them all.

To her surprise, however, there was little prodding to get the man talking. If she hadn't have known better, she'd have sworn Ghaleon was lonely, and homesick for _his_ Vane, instead of the pile of rubble he'd been left with.

No, it wasn't quite rubble anymore. He'd fixed up the gardens, and he'd been studiously drawing up new plans for repairs. Plans that widely eclipsed the treasury of Vane, given its general lack of members save for Lemina, her own mother, and her few friends.

But Ghaleon refused to be deterred.

It was, therefore, no surprise that she found him in the tiny cafeteria on the ship, scrawling away on a paper scroll—despite the fact that the sun had only just begun to rise.

Lemina, however, was _not_ an early riser. She was a late night owl, far more inclined to stay up late reading tomes or studying the quality of whatever gems she got her hands on or, on occasion, to spend hours on her window sil, staring up at the moon as she tried to work her way through another poem.

"You're certainly up early," Ghaleon greeted her, though he didn't look up from his scroll.

She glared at him. "Jean likes to do karate in her sleep," she informed him, huffy, as she rubbed her eyes. "And she has the bottom bunk." She barely refrained from rubbing her bottom, still rather sore from Jean's strong punch that had landed squarely on the bottom of Lemina's bunk.

"There are plenty of rooms aboard this vessel." Ghaleon dipped his quill in ink, and then scribbled something else on the paper. "You could also sleep outside, given that we are currently located by Althena's Spring."

Lemina sniffed. "I'm not sleeping on wet grass if I don't have to." She glowered at him, wondering why she even bothered to explain. "And Jean," Lemina hesitated for a moment, because it felt like an invasion of her friend's privacy to share _why_ Lemina shared a room with her. Then again, it was highly possible Ghaleon already knew; Jean certainly didn't keep her screaming to a minimum.

"She gets nightmares sometimes." Lemina sighed as she shuffled closer, wanting to look at whatever new plans Ghaleon had come up with. "I don't know if she's ever been able to sleep alone since she escaped."

Ghaleon didn't reply, so Lemina took that as proof that he did know about Jean's traumatic past. She thought about asking him _how_ he knew, but then decided it didn't matter. He'd probably been spying on them back when Zophar had still been around, or something.

Instead, she hovered behind him, studying from over his shoulder the plans he'd so carefully sketched out. Vane had a huge crystal structure behind the grand manor, complete with two large towers that stretched almost beyond the borders of the paper. The manor itself was almost three times its current size, and Lemina guessed that the majority of the structure had housed the schoolrooms, dormitories, and practice rooms. While the current Vane had only six other structures besides the testing chambers and the manor, _this_ Vane had eight, and they were far more impressive than the structures that still stood today.

The large fields used for outdoors training, and the statue of Althena stood exactly the same as they were now, but they were the only items on the sketch that still seemed familiar to her. Despite that, the fields had clearly been redrawn, looking carefully maintained rather than being left to wilderness as they were now.

What captured her gaze the most, however, was the clear water that had once been the lifeblood of the floating city. The aqueducts had been restored, and Ghaleon had even added in the suggestion of running water.

"Is that what Vane used to look like?" she breathed, reaching out to trace the dried ink with reverent fingers. It looked like paradise, like what she'd always imagined Vane _should_ have been, if it hadn't have been grounded.

He flinched slightly, and the only reason she even noticed was because of her proximity. "It is," he confirmed, but he didn't shift to look her in the eyes when he spoke as he usually did.

"It's beautiful." She turned to smile at him, but all she saw then was the stone of his imperfect face. He'd turned his head just enough that she couldn't see more than his rocky features. "Ghaleon? Is something wrong?"

He didn't move, but she could hear his slight intake of air.

"No," he answered her curtly. "You're correct that this is what the old Vane had looked like, and it is what Vane shall soon look like _again_."

"I know it will," she told him with a sniff. "But are _you_ okay, Ghaleon?"

She wasn't sure who her concern startled more, him or Lemina herself, but either way, Ghaleon finally turned to look at her, eyes widened.

"I'm _fine_ ," he stressed. "Merely distracted by how to help that boy along so we can return home."

She beamed at him, thrilled that he was willing to consider Vane his home once more. "It won't take us long," she told him with a wink. "Hiro's mega determined to return to Lucia. In fact, he's almost as determined as I am in my own quest!"

She sat down besides him on the bench. "Right now, the water level's still a little too high, but Ronfar thinks it should recede in a day or two. So," she clapped her hands together and gave him her most beguiling look, "we have plenty of time for you to explain what those towers were before, besides kidnapping Luna!"

She'd already heard _that_ story from Nall.

"A most apt pupil, aren't you, Lemina Ausa," Ghaleon said, with the faintest hint of a smile. "Very well. But," he added, rolling up the scroll as she squeaked in protest, "not before we eat. I refuse to have crumbs ruin my hard work."

Lemina pouted, but even as she reached for the map, Ghaleon easily moved it out of reach.

"Ah, ah," he admonished. "Food first, little premier."

She folded her arms across her chest. "My mother is still premier," she reminded him, annoyed. Her mother might not have been able to restore the history and traditions of Vane herself, but she was _still_ premier until she chose to step down for Lemina.

Ghaleon, however, shook his head. "In name only, perhaps," he allowed, "but a premier of the magical guild of Vane is defined by what he or she _does_. You are the one acting as premier, Lemina, not your mother. She is grasping at crumbling rocks, while _you_ are building, one stone at a time."

As Lemina tried to swallow the fact that he'd just paid her a mega handsome compliment— _Ghaleon_ , of all people!—the once-Magical Emperor rose from his seating and made his way to the nook that passed for a kitchen.

"The more time you waste now," he said silkily, "the less time you'll have hearing about the purpose of those towers _later_."

Lemina had never moved so quickly in the morning in her _life_.


	11. Chapter 11

Once again, Jean lingered on the deck of the Destiny after they'd finished their battle.

Ronfar had taken to teasing Leo for the friendship the two were forming, and he was constantly insinuating that Leo fancied Jean.

So, Leo hesitated in the doorway that led to the deck. On one hand, he felt compelled to go to her, to help her with the misery that seemed entrenched in her spirit. But on the other, he no longer felt confident about his own motivations.

He'd thought they were friends—close friends, even. He cared for her.

 _I see the way she looks at you_ , Ronfar had whispered when they'd stood together, battling in the water ruins. _She wants you. And you want her._

Did he?

His feet felt like lead, but finally he forced himself forward until he reached Jean's side.

"Lovely weather today," he said, perhaps a bit too loudly.

Jean raised her brows as she looked at him and then the giant storm clouds looming in the distance.

He coughed into his hand. "Lovely weather now," he clarified, "but the rain is Althena's gift of life to us—"

He stopped. It _wasn't_ Althena's gift. Althena was dead.

Jean laughed. "It's okay, Leo," she said soothingly, and he found himself relaxing. "You don't have to try so hard. I like it better when you're relaxed here with me." She turned to look back at the water. "Do you think there's any future for us?"

He floundered for a moment as he tried to process her meaning. Was she suggesting the two of them become a couple?

His confusion must have been evident, because she quickly explained.

"Hiro has Lucia, Ruby has Nall, Ronfar has your sister, and even Lemina has Ghaleon."

"Lemina and Ghaleon?" He tried to think of them as a couple, but all he could see was Ghaleon zapping Lemina for annoying him if she tried.

Jean laughed again. "Not yet," she told him, "but everyone else can see it but them. Sooner or later, they'll get together, too, and where does that leave us?

"Ronfar think we are together," he blurted, and then immediately wished he could take back the words.

Jean would probably laugh again, and he was beginning to think that perhaps Ronfar had been right. Leo did care for Jean, and maybe it had turned romantic without him even realizing.

But Leo hadn't dated since he'd become the White Knight. He'd dedicated his loyalty and life to the false goddess, and there had been no room or time for anyone else.

And before, well, he hadn't been anywhere as successful as Ronfar with women, and so he hadn't really tried.

He couldn't read Jean's expression, which unnerved him further.

Had he ruined everything with his careless comment?

"You're kind, Leo," she finally said. "Part of me thinks you're too kind to be associated with someone like me, but then I remember your past is dark, too."

Neither of them said anything for awhile.

"I have nightmares," he finally offered. "Ever since I learned the truth about Mauri and the fake Althena."

Jean looked up at him with more sympathy and care than he'd ever expected as she gently put her hand on his arm.

"Have you ever danced, Leo?" Her words were soft, and she reached out with her other hand to pull his hand into her own.

He licked his dry lips. "The Chosen—" he stopped. "The fake goddess forbade it."

"Dance with me." She pulled him into her arms and he went willingly.

Together they moved to the center platform on the deck, and she positioned his hands on her waist as he swallowed.

"Follow my lead." She moved, and he followed until he began to get the idea of what she wanted.

Once he did, he lead, and she followed, and something seemed to shake loose within him. Though he ached to pull her closer, to see if she'd let him if he dared, he twirled her, reaching for her arm to spin her around.

She spun, and then as he let go and moved to pull her close again, she stepped back.

Momentary panic washed through him, but Jean didn't hesitate though he did. She danced around him, and he had to admit she moved fluidly even though she was no longer dressed as the dancer he'd first met.

Once she stood before him again, she reached for his hand, and he pulled her in close.

They repeated the movements, but there was no order or pattern. They seemed to simply move when the moment asked for it, and though there was no music playing, he felt a song from within carry his movements.

At one point they stood toe to toe, looking into each other's eyes, and Leo followed his instincts without thinking.

He bent down to kiss her.

To his surprise, she kissed him back with an agressiveness that suited her wild personality.

And when they parted, it was only to kiss again, and Leo was forced to admit that he did, indeed, want her.

But to his delight, he knew she felt the same.


End file.
